Compressing machine



April 28, 1970 J. POLICH 3,508,486

COMPRESSING MACHINE Filed June so, 1967 j WW2 INVEN TOR J04 pOL/C'H United States Patent 3,508,486 COMPRESSING MACHINE Joe Polich, 30959 Soapmine Road, Barstow, Calif. 92311 Filed June 30, 1967, Ser. No. 650,384 Int. Cl. B30b 9/00 US. Cl. 10098 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention discloses a cubing machine which compresses grain into cubes. The extrusion die is easily separable from the machine and is comprised of an upper and lower plate and separating wall sections.

Summary The machines presently in use in the industry which perform a function of compressing alfalfa and grain into cubes have many deficiencies. Formost is the magnitude of the expense of replacing the extrusion die. Further, the dies now used overheat, weaken, and have a short lifespan. The mechanics of replacement are complex and the dies costly. This invention gives to the industry a simple, inexpensive cubing machine. The extrusion die is easily exchanged and comparatively inexpensive.

An object of this invention is to provide a cubing machine with an easily replaceable and comparatively inexpensive extr-usion die assembly.

This cui'bing machine receives grain or other raw material into a chute. A system of rollers forces the material into a lower area where a reciprocating hammer chops ofi sections of the material and compresses it in either of two compression areas. With each stroke of the hammer, a small amount of material is compressed and sent along a passage to exit slowly from the die where it is cut into selected size cubes. These cubes are a highly desirable type of feed for cattle.

FIGURE 1 is a side view of the cubing machine with attached feeding chute and source of reciprocal power.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the cubing machine absent the feeding chute.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional end view taken at line 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is an exploded oblique view of the extrusion die.

FIGURE 5 is an oblique view of the reciprocating hammer showing relative positions of the bearing wheels.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, a cubing machine will be seen operating in conjunction with a feeding chute 12 and a source of reciprocal power 13. Each of the three components is mounted on an I-beam base 15.

The source of reciprocal power shown is old in the art. It is typical of well known means of generating reciprocal motion. The means shown comprises a source of rotary motion 17 connected to a flywheel 19 by means of V-belts 18. The connecting rod 16 is rotatably connected to the periphery of an outer wheel 20 coaxially disposed to the flywheel.

The feeding chute 12 contemplates the use of a funnel 21 into which the raw material is dumped. The funnel from the side view is shaped as an inverse trapezoid. The pulleys and belt shown at 22 contemplate a means of forcing the grain or other raw material into the cubing machine. The broken circles suggest a combination of gears or multi-toothed rollers which rotate in a manner as to receive the material and thrust it into the cubing machine below. The drive of the gears should provide for variable speed.

Support wheels 25 limit vertical movement of the hammer 31 and provide a bearing surface which facilitates the rapid reciprocal motion of the hammer. There are eight support wheels shown, as may be more fully seen by comparing FIGURE 1 with FIGURE 2.

A breaker 70 is shown having a main section parallel to the base and a second section tending at an obtuse angle from the main section toward the base. The purpose of the breaker is to break off short sections of the compressed material as it exits from the extrusion die. Any means of breaking or chop-ping could be used.

In FIGURE 5 the hammer 31 is shown in relation with the support wheels. The hammer is an H-shaped member. Each of the two parallel legs of the hammer carries an integral pin 33 which protrudes perpendicular from the side of and in the same plane as the legs of the H. The pins are located midway between the ends of each leg. The legs are grooved to provide tracks in which the support wheels ride. The combination of the wheels riding in the track is also shown in FIGURE 3. It should be understood that the invention contemplates any number of support wheels, or any equivalent support and bearing surface which would adequately hold the hammer free from vertical movement, but would permit rapid reciprocal movement in the horizontal plane.

FIGURE 4 discloses the preferred embodiment of the extrusion die. It comprises an upper plate 36 and a lower plate 38. Each plate lies in a parallel plane and is spaced from the other by several vertical wall sections 39. The wall sections are generally rectangular and of about the same thickness as the plates. The upper and lower narrow edges of each wall section carries an integral tongue 40, which lies within the elongated slits 41 of the upper and lower plates to form several extrusion passages. The extrusion passages 50 can be more clearly seen in FIG- URE 3. It should be noted that the upper plate contains a large square opening which allows passage of the raw material into the area between the two plates where it is moved by the hammer and compressed in the extrusion passages. The edges of the plates are discontinuous at 42 to provide an area in which the support wheels may be located as they maintain the hammer parallel with and between the plates.

Looking now at FIGURE 3, the upper plate 36 and lower plate 38 can be seen cooperating with the wall section 39 to form the extrusion passages 50. The combination of the plates and the wall sections make up the extrusion die. The elements of the die are held together by bolts 54 which pass through the base 15, lower plate, upper plate, and anchor strap 55.

The legs of the hammer are positioned between the bolt and the outer wall section. The vertical thickness of the hammer is slightly smaller than the distance between the upper and lower plates to permit horizontal movement of the hammer within the stationary extrusion die.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, the straps 55 can be seen lying across the ends of the upper plate. The strap has an integral flange section 57.

The breaker 70 can be more fully seen to have two connecting leg sections with slits 74 working in combination with wing nuts 72 to provide for adjustment of the breaker to produce selective sized cubes.

A further view of the hammer and die is disclosed in FIGURE 5. Two screws can be seen holding a cutting edge at the striking head of the hammer. It is contemplated that the hammer and the upper plate at the square opening contain a cutting edge which will perform a cutting operation. As the raw material passes into the compression area, it is chopped off by means of the edges of the hammer and upper plate.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for producing cubes of compressed hay, which comprises:

(a) a base;

(b) an extrusion die having an upper plate, a lower plate, side walls between and substantially normal to the upper and lower plates, forming interior extrusion passages in which hay or other material is compressed or shaped, said plates extending beyond the outer side walls to form two exterior side channels parallel with the extrusion passages;

(c) a second similar extrusion die located in spaced,-

co-planar relationship to the first die, the extrusion passages and side channels of the first die being generally longitudinally aligned with the passages and side channels of the second die;

((1) a hammer positioned in the same plane as the dies and in the space between the first and second die, said hammer having a general H-shape with four arms, said arms slidably inserted in said exterior channels of the first and second die, said hammer adapted for reciprocal movement first toward one die and then the other die as the center portion of the H-shape hammer compresses the hay through one die and then the other, said legs being further located in close relationship with the outer side walls preventing hay from moving between the outer side Walls and the said legs;

(e) means coupled to the hammer for reciprocating the same.

2. A compression apparatus, as recited in claim 1 wherein said upper and lower plates form a common upper plate and a common lower plate by which said first and second dies are joined, said upper plate having a central opening through which hay is projected into a cavity formed by the upper and lower plates and the space between the interior ends of the side walls of the first die and the interior ends of the side walls of the second die,

4 said center portion of the H-shape hammer occupying only part of cavity to allow hay to enter the cavity and be compressed into the die passages.

3. A compression apparatus, as recited in claim 2, in which the upper edge of the hammer center portion and the lower edge of the upper plate at the central opening carry knife cutting edges to provide a scissor action as the hammer edge passes the edge of the upper plate during the reciprocal motion.

4. A compression apparatus, as recited in claim 3, further comprising a breaker plate, adjustably connected to the upper plate.

5. A compression apparatus, as recited in claim 3, further comprising a variable speed means of feeding material into the cavity between the upper and lower plates.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 665,973 1/1901 Patterson 25-15 692,605 2/1902 Bratton. 729,149 5/1903 Fenn 25-12 723,150- 3/1903 Penn. 3,006,272 10/ 1961 Brady -98 XR 3,090,182 5/1963 Johnson et al. 3,180,250 4/1965 Johnson et al. 100-98 3,180,287 4/1965 Lundell 107-14 3,323,444 6/1967 Mark et al. 100-38 BILLY I WHITE, Primary Examiner vU.S. Cl. X.R. 

